Packaging machine



Jan. 5, 1965 Filed Oct. 30, 1961 P. A. VAN DE BILT PACKAGING MACHINE 3Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR P/E rm A M 0L ow Vmv DE fi/L T ATTORNEY Jan. 5,1965 P. A. VAN DE BILT PACKAGING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 30,1961 INVENTOR IO/E'TER AKA/oz 01/: l A/V 05 5/1. T

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,164,313 PACKAGENG MACHINE PieterArnoldus van de Bilt, Maartensdijh, Netherlands,

assignor to N.V. Metaverpa, Maartensdijk, Netherlands, a Dutchcorporation Filed Oct. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 148,649 8 Claims. (Cl.226-181) The present invention relates to a packaging machine of thetype, in which a Wire or band is fed through a guide channel of aguiding frame and is tightened around the pacloage, after which the endsof the wire or band are interconnected. Packaging machines of this typeare generaly known and the wire or band is fed into the machine by meansof two pressure rollers, between which the wire or band is located,which rollers are driven by an electric motor through the intermed-ianceof a gear box. This mechanism apart from being complicated and expensivehas the disadvantage that due to the inertia of the moving parts thewire or parts of the packaging machine are damaged whenever anythinggoes wrong in some part of the machine, eg because the wire breaks, getsstuck, leaves the guide or is not gripped properly by a clamp or notproperly twisted to intercom nect the ends. In such a case the movingpar-ts of the driving mechanism will irrevocably continue to move.

In the copending application Serial No. 111.073, filed May 18, 1961, nowPatent No. 3,116,681, it has already been suggested to use a pneumaticplunger motor for driving one of the rollers. The advantage of apneumatic motor is, that it has less inertia as compared with anelectric motor, whilst the driving fluid is resilient.

Purpose of the present invention is to provide a special constructionfor the pneumatic plunger motor, which has a high stanting torqueindependent of the position of the air pressure operated parts of themotor.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a feeding mechanismwith a pneumatic motor, which has a low inertia so .that it can bestalled immediately.

According to the invention these purposes are in general achieved by theuse of two double acting piston and cylinder units arranged at an angleof about 90 with respect to each other and driving the shaft of one ofthe pressure rollers through the intermediance of an eccentricmechanism. Due to the fact that the pneumatic cylinders are arranged atan angle of about 90 the pneumatic motor will always start with a hightorque and will do this instantaneously.

According to the invention the pneumatic plunger motor may also be inthe form of three double acting piston and cylinder units arranged at anangle of about 120 with respect to each other and driving the shaft ofone of the pressure rollers through the intermediance of an eccentricmechanism. The construction of such a three cylinder motor is exactlythe same as the construction of the two cylinder motor with theexception that instead of two cylinders and valves there are threecylinders with valves arranged at an angle of 120 instead of 90. The camcontrolling the valve remains the same.

The invention now will be further elucidated with reference to thedrawings.

FIGURE 1 schematically shows :the pneumatic motor according to theinvention with two cylinders.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical section according to the line II-II of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 shows an embodiment of the pneumatic motor with threecylinders.

In FIGURE 1 the Wire 1 is fed into the machine by means of the rollers 2and 3 rotating as indicated by arrows. and 3 are discs and at the placewhere the wire 1 is As appears from FIGURE 2 these rollers 2 clampedbetween these discs there are sidewardly guiding rollers 4 and 5. Thishas the advantage that there is hardly any friction on the wire or band.The roller 2 is rotatably supported at the end of a lever 6, which ispivotably supported at 7 in the frame of the machine and tilted in aclockwise direction by means of an air pressure cylinder 8 due to whichthe wire or band is clamped between the nollers 2 and 3 and in this waymoved into the machine. The rollers 2 and 3 are arranged on one side ofthe frame plates 9 and 10 of the machine and the shaft 11 of the lowerroller 3 is rotatably supported in these frame plates 9 and 11) by meansof ball-bearings 12. On the right hand end in FIGURE 2 of the shaft 77,this shaft has been provided with a pinion 13, which pinion 13 is shownin full lines on the front side of the frame plate 10 in FIGURE 1. Thispinion 13 is in mesh with a gear wheel 14 of greater diameter androtatably supported on a shaft 15. This shaft 15 is also carrying a camdisc 16 forming in this example a unit with the gear wheel 14 and havingan eccentric pin 17 engaged by the outer ends of the piston rods 18 and19.

Secured to the frame plate 10 are also two pneumatic cylinders 20 and21, which cylinders may swing about pivots 22 and 23 respectively.Adjacent to the cylinders are three-way valves 24, 25, 26 and 27. Thevalves 24 and 25 are operated by a lever 28 pivotably supported at 29and having a roller 30 engaging the cam disc 16. A spring 31 extendingfrom a fixed point 32 on the plate 10 towards the point 33 on the lever28 keeps the roller 30 into contact with the cam surface of the cam disc16.

The three-way valves 26 and 27 co-operate in the same Way with a lever34 pivotably supported at 35 and having a roller 36 and also a spring 37operating in the same way as the roller 319 and the spring 31.

The levers 28 and 34 are for operating the three-way valves 24, 25, 26and 27 through rods 38, 39, 40 and 41.

The air supply and exhaust conduits are indicated with full lines as faras visible and at the three-way valves interrupted lines schematicallyindicate the possible connections. Depression of a. rod 38, 39, 40 or 41means a connection of a-b. If said rod is not depressed the connectionis b-c.

Inlet and outlet conduits are concentrated at two points 42, and 56respectively. Air fiow to the cylinder 20 is as follows.

From the inlet 42 air flows through the conduit 43 towards the valve 25and through the valve 25 and the conduit 44 into the left hand end ofthe cylinder 20, so that the piston rod is moved to the right and thedisc 16 rotated in an anticlockwise direction. The cam surface of thedisc 16 will lift the lever 28 as a result of which the valves 24 and 25are shifted, such that air supply through the conduit 43 will then passthrough the valve 24 and the conduit 45 into the right hand end of thecylinder 20. Before the valves are switched over the air on the otherside of the piston could escape through the conduit 45, the valve 24 andthe conduit 46 and the exhaust 56. After switching the valves the air onthe left hand side of the piston escapes through the conduit 44, thevalve 25 and the conduit 47. The cylinder 21 is operated in the sameway. Air supply takes place through the conduits 48 and 49. In theposition shown the air supply through the conduit 48 flows through thevalve 26 andthe conduit 55) below the piston which'by means of thepiston rod 19 moves the disc 16 in the same direction. Air can escapefrom above the pistonthrough the conduit 51, the valve 27 and theconduit 52 towards the exhaust 56. If the valves 26 and 27 are switchedover by means of the lever 34 air is supplied through the conduit 49,the valve 27 and the conduit 51 into the upper end of the cylinder 21.

From the air inlet 42 a further conduit 53 supplies air through thedouble check valve 54 towards the air cylinder 8. From the exhaust as afurther conduit 55 is connected with the check valve '54. This checkvalve allows air to flow from the conduit 53 or from the conduit 55towards the cylinder 8, but prevents that air coming from the conduit 33from entering the conduit 55 and also will prevent air coming from theconduit 55 entering the conduit 53. Purpose of the conduit 55 is to keepthe cylinder 8 under pressure when the air supply is connected to theexhaust point 55, which is done to reverse the direction of rotation ofthe feed roller 3. In that case 42 becomes the exhaust.

Due to the fact that the feed rollers 2 and 3 are pressed against eachother by the air cylinder 8 which receives air from the same supply thepressure of the feed rollers on the wire will be independent of theresistance which has to be overcome by the air motor. Thus if the wireoffers much resistance air consumption of the motor will be less andaccordingly the pressure in the cylinder 8 will be higher than with ahigher speed of the air motor.

FlGURE 3 shows an embodiment of the pneumatic motor with threecylinders. The piston rods 60, 61 and 62 respectively are in engagementwith the eccentric pin 17 of the cam disc 1o (parts corresponding to theembodiment of FIGURE 1 having the same reference numerals).

The pneumatic cylinders 63, 64 and 65 respectively are connected to theframe plate by means of the pivots 66, 67 and 68 respectively. Eachcylinder has been provided with two three-Way valves 69, '70; 71, 72 and73, 74, which in the same way as with the embodiment of PEG- URE 1 areoperated by levers 75, 76 and 77, which are pivotably supported on theframe plate and by means of springs are kept in engagement with the camdisc 16. Said levers operate the three-way valves in the same manner asdescribed with reference to FIGURE 1. The same holds true with respectto the operation of the threeway valves; accordingly depression of anoperating rod of a three-way means a connection of a-b; if said rod isnot depressed, the connection is [7-0.

Inlet and outlet conduits are concentrated at two points 78 and 79respectively, all in said conduits being connected at point 79. Alloutlet conduits are connected at 78. Conduits 80 and 81 take care of theconnection of the supply via the three-way valves to the other side ofthe cylinder.

Conduits 53 and 55 in the same way as described with reference to FIGURE1 take care of the supply of air towards the air cylinder 8.

What I claim is:

1. In a packaging machine of the type in which a wire or band is fedthrough the guide channel of a guiding frame and is tightened around thepackage after which the endsof the wire or band are interconnected;means for feeding the wire comprising two pressure rollers, one disposedon each side of the wire or band, each of said rollers being mounted onshaft means, a pneumatic plunger motor disposed adjacent said rollersand comprising at least two double-acting piston and cylinder unitsarranged at an angle with respect to each other, eccentric means mountedcontiguous said units, means operatively con necting said eccentricmeans to one of the shaft means to drive same, means for pivotallyconnecting one end of said units at a point remote from said eccentricmeans, and means for pivotally connecting the other end of said units to"said eccentric means whereby when one unit is at'the end of itsoperative stroke the other unit will be at the beginning of itsoperative stroke.

2. A wire-feeding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said units arearranged at about 90 with respect to each other.

3. A wire-feeding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein there arethree double-acting piston and cylinder units arranged at an angle ofabout with respect to each other.

4. A wire-feeding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said eccentricmeans includes a gear wheel having an eccentric pin mounted thereon,said one shaft means having a pinion thereon in mesh with said gearwheel, said pistons of said unit being pivotally connected to saideccentric pin.

5. A wire-feeding mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said one shaftmeans carries a cam disc for rotation therewith, said units havingsupply and exhaust means operatively connected thereto, and lever meanspivotally mounted adjacent said units and in contact with said cam discto control said supply and exhaust means thereby.

6. A wire-feeding mechanism according to claim 5, wherein said supplyand exhaust means includes two three-way valve means for each of saidunits which are operated alternately by said lever means, each valvemeans being adapted to connect the supply of the supply and exhaustmeans with one side of the piston of each unit or to cut off this supplyand to connect this one side of the piston with the exhaust of thesupply and exhaust means.

7. In a packaging machine of the type in which a wire or band is fedinto the machine by means of two pressure rollers, one disposed on eachside of the wire or band, means for driving at least one of saidpressure rollers, and guiding rollers disposed adjacent said pressurerollers winch engage the other sides of the wire or band, said guidingrollers rotating about axes which are perpendicular to the axes ofrotation of the pressure rollers, the axes of rotation of the pressurerollers and the guiding rollers being coplanar.

8. In a packaging machine of the type in which a wire or band is fedinto the machine by means of two pressure rollers, one disposed on eachside of the wire or band, means mounting at least one of said rollersfor movement toward and away from the other of said rollers, fluid motormeans disposed contiguous said pressure rollers and being operativelyconnected to one of said pressure rollers to drive same, means forsupplying fiuid under pressure to said fluid motor means, and fluidcylinder means in fiuid circuit with said fluid motor means to presssaid rollers towards each other so that upon a drop in fluid pressure tothe motor means from said fluid supply means the pressure between thepressure rollers will be relieved thereby quickly to interrupt thefeeding of the Wire or band.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,275,984 Bailey Aug. 13, 1918 1,759,105 Evans May 20, 1930 1,996,204Ingram Apr. 2, 1935 2,538,619 Friedman Jan. 16, 1951 2,707,429 Leslie etal May 3, 1955 2,707,430 Leslie et al May 3, 1955 2,807,997 \Vognurn eta] Oct. 1, 1957 2,880,666 Rogers Apr. 7, 1959 2,915,003 Crosby et alDec. 1, 1959 2,929,626 Weymouth Mar. 22, 1960 3,010,386 Sinclair et alNov. 28, 1961 3,012,497 Fryer Dec. 12, 1961 3,014,262 Morgan Dec. 26,1961 3,041,961 Cechner et al July 3, 1962

1. IN A PACKAGING MACHINE OF THE TYPE IN WHICH A WIRE OR BAND IS FEDTHROUGH THE GUIDE CHANNEL OF A GUIDING FRAME AND IS TIGHTENED AROUND THEPACKAGE AFTER WHICH THE ENDS OF THE WIRE OR BAND ARE INTERCONNECTED;MEANS FOR FEEDING THE WIRE COMPRISING TWO PRESSURE ROLLERS, ONE DISPOSEDON EACH SIDE OF THE WIRE OR BAND, EACH OF SAID ROLLERS BEING MOUNTED ONSHAFT MEANS, A PNEUMATIC PLUNGER MOTOR DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID ROLLERSAND COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO DOUBLE-ACTING PISTON AND CYLINDER UNITSARRANGED AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, ECCENTRIC MEANS MOUNTEDCONTIGUOUS SAID UNITS, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID ECCENTRIC MEANSTO ONE OF THE SHAFT MEANS TO DRIVE SAME, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY CONNECTINGONE END OF SAID UNITS AT A POINT REMOTE FROM SAID ECCENTRIC MEANS, ANDMEANS FOR PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE OTHER END OF SAID UNITS TO SAIDECCENTRIC MEANS WHEREBY WHEN ONE UNIT IS AT THE END OF ITS OPERATIVESTROKE THE OTHER UNIT WILL BE AT THE BEGINNING OF ITS OPERATIVE STROKE.